http://www.protestsonglyrics.net/Great_Depression_Songs/Breadline-Blues.phtml BREADLINE BLUES Words and music by Bernard (Slim) Smith As recorded by Bernard (Slim) Smith, 1931(1) The latest news has struck me funny Says you have no friends if you haven't got money And all of us good folks in distress But I'm gonna get something off my chest Nineteen thirty-two won't be long And when you place your vote please don't vote wrong Vote away those blues, the breadline blues It's a rich man's job to make some rules In order to rid our breadline blues Now listen here folks and it ain't no joke We've got to do something or we're all going to croak We can't get a job, we've all been robbed We've got no money and the corn's all cob We've nothing but blues, the breadline blues If we had state rights, I'll leave it to you We could all have fun and better home brew Says the long-eared mule standing over his box To the big-mouthed elephant: 'You drink like an ox 'You had twelve years, proved nothing but a curse 'Instead of making it better, it's getting worse and worse' Says the long-eared mule, 'I ain't no fool' The elephant said, 'You long-eared mule Will you shut your mouth? you never been to school' The mule said, 'Elephant, it ain't no joke We've got to do something or we're all gonna croak We ain't got nothing but a carload of tax And the doggone load is just a-breaking our backs We've got the blues, the breadline blues' The latest news has struck me funny Says you have no friends if you haven't got money And all of us good folks in distress But I'm gonna get something off my chest Nineteen thirty-two won't be long And when you place your vote please don't vote wrong Vote away those blues, those breadline blues Notes: 1 - Recorded by Slim Smith, on Crown records 3118, April 1931
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